Father and son Nilsson leave town

Jim Matheson, edmontonjournal.com07.23.2010

Phoenix Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov makes the save on Edmonton Oilers' Robert Nilsson in the first period during their NHL game in Glendale, Arizona, Feb. 8, 2010.Rick Scuteri, Reuters
/ edmontonjournal.com

Robert NilssonShaughn Butts
/ Edmonton Journal

Mom Vanessa LeBlanc holds her son, 2-year-old Xander Leblanc, as they get an autograph from Oiler team white plater Robert Nilsson during the charity Oilers and Friends Softball Classic game with the Edmonton Oilers at Telus Field in Edmonton September 5, 2009.Walter Tychnowicz
/ Edmonton Journal

Robert Nilsson, who stops to sign marketing products after the team picture on Monday at Rexall Place, may be wearing an Oilers jersey for the last time.Chris Schwarz
/ Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON — Former Edmonton Oilers winger Robert Nilsson has gone to Russia and his dad, Kent, has said goodbye to the NHL organization, too, with no new address yet.

Nilsson, who was bought out in late June at one-third of the $2.5-million salary coming to him next season, signed with Salavat Yulaev in Ufa, Russia, in the Kontinental League.

His father, who had been the Oilers' European amateur scout, decided to quit, as well.

While Robert's agent, Don Baizley, was making the rounds at the NHL draft two weeks ago because his client said he definitely wanted to stay in North America, Robert was already rumoured to be going to Ufa, the hometown of former Oilers defenceman Igor Kravchuk located two hours by plane from Moscow.

Kent might wind up working for Glen Sather in New York after the Rangers released longtime European scout Crister Rockstrom.

Sather acquired Kent in a trade with the Minnesota North Stars to play alongside Mark Messier and Glenn Anderson and he won a Stanley Cup with the Oilers in 1987.

Sather also brought Nilsson back for a six-game cameo in 1995 when he was 39 years old.

There's a possibility that Frank Musil, who has been the Oilers' European pro scout, might not be in that role next season, as well. Musil has been living in Vancouver the past year because his son, David, is a defenceman with the Western Hockey League's Giants.

Sources say Musil reportedly would rather stay closer to home to watch his son, who could go in the top six to eight players in next June's NHL entry draft.

ON THE BENCH: If Nikolai Khabibulin doesn't have his day in a Phoenix court until late September, about a week before the NHL season opens, the Oilers might have to keep both of their young goalies -- Devan Dubnyk and Jeff Deslauriers -- in case their veteran netminder goes to jail. The Oilers were hoping Khabibulin's court case would be long over by that point ... Former Oilers forward Marc Pouliot is still without a team as an unrestricted free agent, but there is one possibility. He played on the same Rimouski junior line as Sidney Crosby and Crosby reportedly has been asked his opinion ... Sources say the Colorado Avalanche have been sniffing around Andrew Cogliano's availability ... Nick Wilson, who was the Edmonton Oil Kings vice-president, and before that was in Oilers management, is no longer in that junior post ... Linus Omark had another commitment overseas and wasn't on the Oilers' prospect camp list, but even if Omark wasn't busy, he's too far advanced to be at a prospects gathering. He's played against elite league players in Sweden and Russia for the last four years. The question on Omark is this: If he doesn't make the Oilers, would be really want to play on the American Hockey League farm team in Oklahoma City or would he rather be loaned to a European team?

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